This place is a gift to anyone that has taken Spanish in school and yet never learned it. After 4…read moreyears of Spanish in high school and not absorbing any of it, I was skeptical that I could be taught. My instructor taught us so much, and broke it down into lessons that made the transition so much easier that I'm not only learning Spanish, but I'm enjoying understanding the how's and the why's of the language. All classes are very small (usually no more than 8) which makes it easy to learn, grow, and laugh with each other. I never felt that I couldn't make a mistake or ask a question. The homework is minimal and doesn't usually take more than an hour a week. (Though it's good to make vocab flash cards as you go and keep practicing). Wonderful teachers, quick responces to emails and phone calls.

I have been attending group spanish classes at Tierra for over 2 years. I started with no spanish…read moreknowledge other than what I learned on Sesame Street as a kid. They are very affordable compared to others, and they have great native speakers for teachers. I have had 3 teachers for different levels, and some others as substitutes. And all their teachers are dynamic and energetic and PATIENT! Especially good for me, because I memorize vocabulary v e r y s l o w l y. The classes are no larger than 8 people so you get really personal attention compared to the universities and colleges. Our class has been studying together for several months and we are now all friends and have attended foreign films together around town and we sometimes bring in snacks for celebrations or special occasions like birthdays etc. I have attended their social celebrations like Day of the Dead and Mexican Independence Day and feel like its a great little community and family at Tierra.

You get what you pay for. Bodhi Tree's adult languages classes are affordable and scheduled…read moreconveniently for working people. They are not university classes and don't pretend to be. They're not even high school classes. They're "community" classes which attract learners with a very wide variety of abilities, backgrounds, and motivations. The public assumption that being a native speaker of a language somehow qualifies a person to teach that language seems to rule here. Before a scheduled sojourn in a foreign land, I was delighted to find an available class in the language of that land, and cheerfully signed up. I did the homework and attended every session. My teacher was not a credentialed language instructor but this person was generally punctual, knowledgeable and sincere. The textbook was good. My overall disappointing results were not due to any lack of good will on the part of students or teacher. The issue was that because the instructors are not trained in how to handle mixed-level classes, my teacher wasted a great deal of time (my time) in trying to cater to those unprepared (didn't do the homework) or those who have no idea how to learn a language (most Americans). For example, one woman student, in her thirties, leapt up from her seat at least three times during every class to answer voice calls, and texted constantly throughout. Having missed the instruction, she would ask the teacher to repeat the point, which he politely did. Another older man apparently had never studied a language before (perhaps had never studied anything before). He filled the class hour with random questions about basic grammar (what is a noun? what do you mean, noun?) history, and politics -- all of which the teacher politely answered, sometimes at length. Due to the teacher's lack of training in mixed-level classroom management, the pace of instruction was extremely slow and disorderly. In eight weeks I learned very little. I would not go back. Still, with so much variation among individual teachers and the possibility of a better mix of adult students, your mileage may vary. Bodhi tree is the only place in Portland to get formal instruction in Mongolian, for example -- and it's affordable. By all means give it a try, but I'd recommend to keep expectations low.

I actually only had the opportunity to take one class at this center because after someone dropping…read moreout, the class size was too small to continue. I was deeply disappointed, but I thought I would still share my experience. The only thing that really bothered me was how warm the room was. Maybe I just have a high tolerance for things, but I wasn't put off by anything. I was there to learn Cantonese Level 1. The instructor was very kind and friendly, and I hate that I forgot her name. If you're going in there expecting to be taught, then go somewhere else. This is a place to talk about the language, go through dialogue, and familiarize yourself with the way it sounds and how to speak it. But there weren't drills, memorizing or starting with the basics like tones. And that was fine for me because my memory is excellent and I can clearly remember how the instructor says it and I can repeat it. I'm thinking about doing one-on-one tutoring there, but the distance is a little out of my way. These are community classes and I had a good time.

I love my weekly Portuguese lessons with Rodrigo. He makes learning fun. I wanted a teacher who…read morecould help me to master some of the day to day things that come up when you are living in Brazil. I am an intermediate level student, and I go to Rio de Janeiro every year. I was terrified and embarrassed to talk on the phone in Portuguese. He helped me get over my fear by having me call him up on my cell phone and try to buy a train ticket or order a pizza or complain about a noisy upstairs neighbor in Portuguese. He always makes my lessons challenging and fun, and I look forward to each one.

I recently took a two week trip to Brazil and took a few months of lessons from Rodrigo beforehand…read more Thanks to him I was able to communicate with most people and really felt comfortable trying to put together complex sentences. I did 8 weeks with a small group, and then once a week private lessons for 4 weeks, and I an so happy with the progress I made. I recommend lessons with Rodrigo for anyone at any level who wants to learn Portuguese. And of course the fun Brazilian meet ups and movie nights and samba lessons!

We have our second child starting Kristina's Mandarin class, our son took one year of Mandarin and…read morenow our daughter has started. We really appreciate her methodology, fluency, engagement with the children, and ability to transcend ages and learning abilities and levels, as well as her enthusiasm and involvement even during the summer months. Kristina is an excellent language teacher, embracing the culture and social mores of language also, which is very important. And she makes learning fun!

We love the instructor. She makes learning Mandarin so much fun.read more

We came here for a holiday event. The building itself on the outside is well-maintained, and has so…read moremuch character. Inside it's all wood, so many loving touches that you don't see in these modern buildings. While the finishings may be classic the facilities are fully updated. I would definitely recommend this location for a venue. The event we attended was using several rooms for different purposes, and each one was extremely spacious, clean and welcoming. They offer a multitude of services, including a library, language classes, music classes, and are even delightful to follow on social media as they share historic ti it's that help us all connect.

For the first time, we went to their Octoberfest Lebkuchen Herzen direct from Germany. In some…read moreadvertisement, they didn't say what time it starts. We went there for lunch, only to be told they don't open until 2pm. We went back by 5:30pm, and the garden was already packed! There was no line for food tickets, and we got our dinner selection right away, but because it was our first time, I have to ask questions, where to get our dinner etc. They have indoor seating as well as outdoor. The bratwurst had a wonderful flavor, a nice mild flavor. I rate that a 5. The sauerkraut was also good. I rate that a 4. The potatoes, I'd rate that a 3. The apple strudel a 5. The hard pretzel (cold, even though I picked the one that was hanging under a heater) a 2. The entertainment a 4.